Photographic processing apparatus with spray means

ABSTRACT

A photographic processing apparatus with a plurality of filmprocessing compartments which lie one behind another and have aligned lateral openings which form a straight transport path in a vertical plane. Each of these compartments is provided with its own transport mechanism and spray device. This spray device has two banks of nozzles which spray film-processing liquids on the film or plate suspended by the transport mechanism; the latter consists of a bar to which the film is clamped and which is pulled along a horizontal guide by a respective endless conveyor and is picked up by the next conveyor. Doors are provided between the compartments to prevent passage of film-processing liquids or light therethrough.

United States Patent Inventor Kurt Gall Welfenstr. 22, 7 Stuttgart-Birkach, Germany- [21] Appl. No. 769,613 [22] Filed Oct. 22, 1968 [45] Patented July 20, 1971 [32] Priority Oct. 24, 1967 [33] Switzerland [31] 14960/67 [54] PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH SPRAY MEANS 19 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 95/89, 95/94, 134/82, 118/6, 118/314 [51] Int. Cl G03c 1/72 [50] Field of Search 95/89, 94; 134/58, 76, 82; 118/2, 6, 7, 8, 314, 316, 324, 326

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,279,686 4/1942 Kerlin 95/89 2,805,967 9/1957 Murphy....... 134/58 X 2,853,048 9/1958 Whitbeck.... 118/314 2,961,990 11/1960 Wruck 118/8 X u'u- "II-m n I Primary Examiner-John M. Horan Assistant Examiner-A1an Mathews Attorney-Karl F. Ross ABSTRACT: A photographic processing apparatus with a plurality of film-processing compartments which lie one behind another and have aligned lateral openings which form a straight transport path in a vertical plane. Each of these compartments is provided with its own transport mechanism and spray device. This spray device has two banks of nozzles which spray film-processing liquids on the film or plate suspended by the transport mechanism; the latter consists of a bar to which the film is clamped and which is pulled along a horizontal guide by a respective endless conveyor and is picked up by the next conveyor. Doors are provided between the compartments to prevent passage of film-processing liquids or light therethrough.

PATENTEUJULZOISYI 3,593,640

SHEET 2 (IF 4 F7 2? Kurf Gall INVENTOR BY Ka g, T

ATTORNEY PHOTOGRAPIIIC PROCESSING APPARATUS WITII SPRAY MEANS My invention relates to an apparatus for processing photographic material, in particular photographic material having a plate or sheet format.

Film-processing apparatuses are known which have a plurality of compartments containing film-processing liquid and sealed against light. These liquids are generally held in a simple bath or basin and the film is passed through them in a horizontal orientation. I

Generally speaking, sheet or plate film or prints are secured to a bar and these bars with the film are dipped in the baths one after another by a transport mechanism. At each bath, the mechanism must lower the film and raise it, in addition to accommodating the normal conveying motion or translation between baths. Such constant up-and-down movement necessitates a very' complicated and expensive transport mechanism.

Another technique has been to build the transport mechanism as a series of rollers which engage and roll the film through the different baths, holding it in the appropriate baths the appropriate lengths of time. Although this is simpler and cheaper than the above-described transport mechanism, it often irrepairably damages the films.

In addition, with such unified transport mechanisms, there is very little flexibility or adjustability possible. The different processing liquids often require different lengths of time to fulfill their particular functions, and it is extremely difficult to program these mechanisms. Indeed, often the same amount of time must be spent by the film ineach bath. At the very best it is extremely difficult to change the separate times of each operation without carrying out overall reprogramming of the entire apparatus.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for processing photographic material which overcomes these and other difficulties.

1 do this by building my apparatus such that it has a substantially straight transport path with the film in a vertical plane and providing spray devices alongside the path for directing sprays of processing chemicals etc. against the film. Thus, instead of dipping the film in difi'erent baths of liquids, the different liquids are sprayed on the film. This feature allows the film to travel along a straight guide while it is processed without touching anything other than the one or two clamps which suspend it from its upper edge.

According to another feature of my invention, the film travels through a series of processing compartments which are more or less independent from one another. Each of these compartments has its own spray arrangement and its own transport mechanism. The spray arrangement comprises a bank of nozzles on each side of the path which are supplied with liquid from a pump, preferably in pulses. A reservoir in the bottom of each compartment collects this liquid for recirculation by the respective pump.

The transport mechanism may=include a motor-driven chain which has engagement means which cooperate with notches on the top of the bar holding the film and slides along the guide. This transport mechanism moves the bar and film forward and even can make them oscillate back and forth slightly when spraying is being carried out. The successive transport conveyors thus engage the bar at the completion of each preceding cycle and draw the photographic material through the next compartment.

A particularly worthwhile feature of my invention is that an unlimited number of compartments can be coupled together or;horizontally stacked to process any film in any manner, be it color or black-and-white, and with as many processing liquids as desired. In addition different times can be established for each process with little or no difficulty. The mere'resetting of a single knob changes one processing time regardless of the others.

THese and other features, objects and advantages of my invention will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. I is a side view, partly in section, of the apparatus according to my invention;

FIG. 2 is a view seen in the direction of arrow ll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view according to line IIl-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an expanded, sectional view of the machine as seen in FIG. I;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detail of a second embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 7 is a section taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a a schematic view of a control system adapted to effect the successive process steps in a machine in accordance with the present invention.

Four compartments 1, 2, 3 and 4 form the apparatus, according to my invention, as shown in FIG. I, although substantially any number of such identical components can be horizontally stacked to provide a corresponding number of treatment stages. Each compartment is divided by a wall 5 into a spray chamber 6 and a pump chamber 7. A spray arrangement 8 in the upper half of each spray chamber 6 receives the treatment liquid from the respective reservoir 18 forming the lower part of each compartment.

The spray arrangements 8 each consists of two banks 9 0f pipes 10 with nozzles I] trained on the transport path, which lies in a vertical median plane of the device (FIG. 5); these nozzles 11 are vertically staggered from pipe to pipe as is best seen in FIG. 4 so that the spacing of the nozzles on the last pipe (in the direction of film travel) is greater than that of the first pipe. The pipes 10 meet at two pipes or manifolds 12 which are connected over a line 13 with a pump 15. A filter 14 is provided in this pipe 13 to cleanse the processing liquid passing therethrough. Four electric motors l6a-d (only two shown in FIG. 1) power these pumps 15.

As shown in FIG. 6, a motor 16e can be mounted on rollers 16f rolling on a base 16g. Instead of a single pipe 13, two telescoping pipes 13a and 13b here serve to connect the pump 15 to the spray arrangement 8. The pipe 13b passes through a slot 5b in the wall 5 and is sealed thereagainst by a bellows 5b. In this manner up-and-down and back-and-forth adjustment is permitted for the arrangement 8, thereby positioning the nozzle levels with respect to the size of the photographic materials and varying the distance between the film and the nozzles. This movement of the banks 9 up and down and towards and away from each other is thus useful to accommodate different sizes and types of film.

The pump 15 draws film-processing liquid in through the outlet 17 of the reservoir 18. A stand pipe 19 of adjustable height is arranged in this reservoir 18 and communicates with a common drain pipe 20 for all compartments 1-4 to form an overflow-control arrangement for the liquid level in the compartment. A drain valve 23 connected to a bottom drain 22 can completely empty this reservoir 18 into the pipe 20 if desired.

A portion of each pipe 13 can be made of transparent material to allow for visual monitoring of the condition of the liquid therein.

A cooling coil 21 connected to a refrigeration unit 56 is also provided in the reservoir 18. This serves to keep the temperature of the processing liquid down since film-developing processes are quite heat sensitive and a certain amount of heat is inevitably generated in the apparatus. It is also helpful not to enclose completely the pump chamber 7, thereby cutting down the generation of heat or facilitating dissipation thereof since there is no light danger here.

Between the compartments 1-4 and at their ends are slots or openings 25 flanked by plates 25a to cutout light entry. In

addition doors 27 are provided, to close these openings 25 while processing is being carried out. Switches 54a-e (one shown in FIG. 7) cooperate with these doors 27 to control the processing. As further seen in FIG. 7 the door 27 is hinged on a pin 27b around which a small torsion spring 27a is wound to urge this door closed.

the apparatus. A further compartment 33 houses electrical connections 34 which couple each compartment 1-4 with its neighbor.

Between the lower chamber 31 and the room 6 is a wall 41 formed with a guide slot 42 between its two raillike sides. Each chamber 31 is provided with a transport mechanism 35. These mechanisms 35 are driven by electric motors 37a--d (only two visible in FIGS. 1 and 4). Each motor drives a chain 36 which is fitted with formations 38, 39 and 40 which can be set anywhere along the chain 36. The actuating formations 38 cooperate with microswitches 3811-11 to control the motors 7 37a, 37b, 370 and 37d, respectively, and the formations 39 and 40 are intended to engage and transport the photographic v material through the apparatus.

A piece of photographic material 26 of plate or sheet rectangular format is held by clamps 44 on a bar 43. An upper edge 45 of this bar '43 is formed with notches 46 adapted to receive the engaging formations 39 and 40 on the chain 36. A leading-end projection 50 contacts and pushes the doors 27 open' as the bar 43 is' transported through the apparatus in a transport direction indicated by an arrow v47. In this way the sheet 26 never is touched by anything other than the processing liquids'and the clamps 44. The cross section of the bar 43 (see FIGS. 2 and3) is such that it fits the guide slot 42 exactly and prevents liquid from getting up into the transport .mechanism 35 during processing.

FIG. 2 shows a control panel 48 of my apparatus. Control instruments 49 control all the functions of all of the compartments 1-4. Timers 58, 59, 60 and 61 with respective pilot lights 58a, 59a and60a (no pilot being necessary for the last compartment) control the length of the processing carried out ineach compartment 1-4. A general on-ofi switch 52 and a start switch 57 are also provided.

FIG. 8 shows a possible control circuit for my apparatus. The door switches 54a-e between the compartments are connected between a source 69 and four bistable multivibrators or flip-flops 68a-d as shown in Basic Theory and Application of Transistors, (Army Technical Manual, 1 l-690, Washington DC, 195. which each has two outputs, an an output signalling that the respective compartment is occupied, and a U output showing that it is unoccupied. The a outputs are connected to the timers 58-61 and, according to their settings through contacts 58b59bf60B and 61b controlled thereby to the pumps 16a-d through-pulsegenerators 62a- -d which' makes for a pulsating spray. They are also connected through the reversing switches 38a-d to the motors 37a-d to make the sheet 26 move back and forth in the compartment during spraying. The oscillators 63ad and actuators 64a-d can work as a function of the switch 380 and the formations 38 to properly reciprocate and index the bar 43. On termination of the timed periods the motors 37a-d are actuated through the respective actuators 64a-d to advance the bar 43 to -a predetermined distance set on one of the formations 38.

Respective and gates 66ac and 67B--d prevent advancing of 60 the film 26 into the next compartment before termination of the processing therein.

My apparatus is used as follows:

A photographic film'or plate 26 is clamped on the bar 43 and the end of this is inserted in the apparatus. This is of course done in a dark room or in some similarly darkened conditions. The timers 58-61 are set according to the lengths of the separate processing steps to be carried out. Four stages are shown here for sake of illustration, although fewer or more are entirely possible. For that matter, the timers for any compartment can simply be left at zero if it is not needed, the film 26 will automatically then be advanced through it.

I The on-off switch 52 is turned on and care should be taken to see that all the proper chemicals and levels are present in the film 26 in front of the noazles 11, which are offset from each other to ensure maximum wetting, to most completely wet and treat the film 26. V 1

Once the timed period is over, the timer 58 pushes thecontact 58b down thereby stopping the pumping and oscillating. If the next flip-flop 68b indicates through its U output that it is empty, the motors 37a and 37b are actuated through actuators 64a and 64b and through gates 66a, 66b and 67b. This pulls the bar 43 into the next compartment thereby tripping the switch 54b which resets the first flip-flop 68a at U and sets the second flip-flop 68b at 0. This starts the whole operation over again in the compartment 2. As the actuators 64a-d are actuated the respective timers 58-61 are reset through a feedback line 65a-d to the illustrated position. Meanwhile another bar 43 can be introduced into the compartment 1, and even the timer setting for this compartment can be reset.

Once the film 26 is in the apparatus, there is no longer any need to avoid making light near it since the apparatus is fully closed by the walls and the doors 27. Thus only loading and starting of the processing need be carried out in the dark.

Furthermore, my apparatus is extremely adaptable since any number of compartments can be coupled together to treat, for instance; color film. The last compartment can be a simple dryer in which the bottom valve 23 is open at all times and the nozzles 11 simply spray air on the film to dry it. The first compartment which carries the instrument board 48 is the only one which would need adapting with difierent numbers of compartments coupled along behind it.

The dimensions of one working embodiment of my apparatus with four compartments are 350 cm. long, 40 cm. wide and 165 cm. high. it weighs some 490 kg. and can process around 30 plates of film measuring 50x60 cm. in an hour.

The improvement described and illustrated is believed to admit of many modifications within the ability of persons skilled in the art, all such modifications being considered within the spirit and scope of the invention except as limited by the appended claims.

1. An apparatus for processing photographic material, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of substantially closed and independent respective film-processing compartments lying one behind another and formed with respective lateral openings defining'a substantially straight transport path through said compartments and permitting passage of the material therealong;

transport means for conveying said material along said path straight guide extending along said path and through said openings; and 1 respective spray means alongside said path in said compartments for wetting the material with appropriate respective film-processing liquids, said transport means comprising respective transport mechanisms in each of said compartments, each including a bar fitting and slidable in said guide, means for attaching said material to the underside of said bar, said bar being of a length such that it is fully receivable in one of said compartments when fitted in said guide, said bar being formed with an upwardly open notch, said notch being engageable by said transport mechanism for advancing same. e v 2. An apparatus for processing photographic material, said the reservoirs 18. Then-the start button 57 is pressed. As apparatus comprising:

through said openings and including a substantially a plurality of substantially closed and independent respective film processing compartments lying one behind another and formed with respective lateral openings defining a substantially straight transport path through said compartments and pennitting passage of the material therealong;

transport means for conveying said material along said path through said openings and including a substantially straight guide extending along said path and through said openings; and

respective spray means alongside said path in said compartments for wetting the material with appropriate respec tive film-processing liquids, said transport means comprising respective transport mechanisms in each of said compartments, each including a bar fitting and slidable in said guide, means for attaching said material to the underside of said bar, said bar being of a length such that it is fully receivable in one of said compartments when fitted in said guide, said transport mechanisms each further comprising a motor and an endless chain driven by said motor, said chain being provided with at least one engaging formation for entraining said bar.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, further comprising electric means for switching said transport means and said spray means on and off according to a predetermined work program, each of said compartments being divided into a respective upper and a lower mutually sealed chamber, said electric means-being located in said upper chamber of said compartments.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said bar is formed with a leading-end projection and said apparatus further comprises a door covering each of said openings, said projection serving to push open one of said doors as it is advanced along said guide by said transport means.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said motors are electric motors.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said mechanisms are further provided with switch means for turning the respective motor on and off.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said switch means comprises at least one actuating formation on said chain and at least one switch fixed relative to said chain and engageable by said actuating formation.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, further comprising means for displacing said formations on said chain along said chain.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 2 further comprising a door covering each of said openings.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9, further comprising spring means urging said door closed.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said spray means comprises a plurality of respective spray arrangements in said compartments.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein rangements each comprise a pump, a reservoir for storing one of said liquids, noule means for spraying said one of said liquids on said material, and conduit means connecting said reservoir to said pump and said pump to said nozzle means, said reservoir being generally below said nozzle means.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said nozzle means comprises two banks of nozzles, said banks being mounted on opposite sides of said path with said nozzles directed toward said path.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein said banks are limitedly displaceable transverse to said path and up and down in said compartment.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said reservoir is provided with cooling means for said liquid.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein means is a cooling coil in said reservoir.

17. An apparatus for processing photographic material, said apparatus corn rising:

a plurality o substantially closed and independent respective film-processing compartments lying one behind another and formed with respective lateral openings defining a substantially straight transport path through said compartments and permitting passage of the material therealong;

transport means for conveying said material along said path through said openings;

respective spray means alongside said path in said compartments for wetting the material with appropriate respective film-processing liquids;

a flap biased into a closed position blocking each of said openings; and

means cooperating with said transport means for opening each flap ahead of and in the cadence of advance of said material to pass the same between said compartments.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein said material is a succession of sheets and said transport means includes a plurality of bars displaceable along said path and carrying said sheets, said bars being arrayed one behind another along said path and being formed with means cooperating with said flaps for opening same.

19. The apparatus defined in claim l8, further comprising a guide extending along said path through at least each pair of adjacent compartments for constraining said bars.

said spray arsaid cooling 

1. An apparatus for processing photographic material, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of substantially closed and independent respective film-processing compartments lying one behind another and formed with respective lateral openings defining a substantially straight transport path through said compartments and permitting passage of the material therealong; transport means for conveying said material along said path through said openings and including a substantially straight guide extending along said path and through said openings; and respective spray means alongside said path in said compartments for wetting the material with appropriate respective filmprocessing liquids, said transport means comprising respective transport mechanisms in each of said compartments, each including a bar fitting and slidable in said guide, means for attaching said material to the underside of said bar, said bar being of a length such that it is fully receivable in one of said compartments when fitted in said guide, said bar being formed with an upwardly open notch, said notch being engageable by said transport mechanism for advancing same.
 2. An apparatus for processing photographic material, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of substantially closed and independent respective film-processing compartments lying one behind another and formed with respective lateral openings defining a substantially straight transport path through said compartments and permitting passage of the material therealong; transport means for conveying said material along said path through said openings and including a substantially straight guide extending along said path and through said openings; and respective spray means alongside said path in said compartments for wetting the material with appropriate respective film-processing liquids, said transport means comprising respective transport mechanisms in each of said compartments, each including a bar fitting and slidable in said guide, means for attaching said material to the underside of said bar, said bar being of a length such that it is fully receivable in one of said compartments when fitted in said guide, said transport mechanisms each further comprising a motor and an endless chain driven by said motor, said chain being provided with at least one engaging formation for entraining said bar.
 3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, further comprising electric means for switching said transport means and said spray means on and off according to a predetermined work program, each of said compartments being divided into a respective upper and a lower mutually sealed chamber, said electric means being located in said upper chamber of said compartments.
 4. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said bar is formed with a leading-end projection and said apparatus further comprises a door covering each of said openings, said projection serving to push open one of said doors as it is advanced along said guide by said transport means.
 5. The apparatus defined in claim 2 whereiN said motors are electric motors.
 6. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said mechanisms are further provided with switch means for turning the respective motor on and off.
 7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said switch means comprises at least one actuating formation on said chain and at least one switch fixed relative to said chain and engageable by said actuating formation.
 8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, further comprising means for displacing said formations on said chain along said chain.
 9. The apparatus defined in claim 2 further comprising a door covering each of said openings.
 10. The apparatus defined in claim 9, further comprising spring means urging said door closed.
 11. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said spray means comprises a plurality of respective spray arrangements in said compartments.
 12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said spray arrangements each comprise a pump, a reservoir for storing one of said liquids, nozzle means for spraying said one of said liquids on said material, and conduit means connecting said reservoir to said pump and said pump to said nozzle means, said reservoir being generally below said nozzle means.
 13. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said nozzle means comprises two banks of nozzles, said banks being mounted on opposite sides of said path with said nozzles directed toward said path.
 14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein said banks are limitedly displaceable transverse to said path and up and down in said compartment.
 15. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said reservoir is provided with cooling means for said liquid.
 16. The apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein said cooling means is a cooling coil in said reservoir.
 17. An apparatus for processing photographic material, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of substantially closed and independent respective film-processing compartments lying one behind another and formed with respective lateral openings defining a substantially straight transport path through said compartments and permitting passage of the material therealong; transport means for conveying said material along said path through said openings; respective spray means alongside said path in said compartments for wetting the material with appropriate respective film-processing liquids; a flap biased into a closed position blocking each of said openings; and means cooperating with said transport means for opening each flap ahead of and in the cadence of advance of said material to pass the same between said compartments.
 18. The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein said material is a succession of sheets and said transport means includes a plurality of bars displaceable along said path and carrying said sheets, said bars being arrayed one behind another along said path and being formed with means cooperating with said flaps for opening same.
 19. The apparatus defined in claim 18, further comprising a guide extending along said path through at least each pair of adjacent compartments for constraining said bars. 